XM to Debut portable (Walkman) radio (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/...&w=RTR&coview=

SIRIUS is expected to launch their walkman version by Christmas as well.

 

[CurtP]

SIRIUS already has a portable unit available - Crutchfield already has them in their catalog. I haven't seen anything for XM though.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to work well for anyone unless they're outdoors. Until someone figures out how to get the signal indoors without using an external antenna [to the building], this doesn't sound like a well thought out solution.

 

[TheLongshot]

Well, MyRadioStore.com has been doing this with the SkiFi and Roady for some time now.

http://www.myradiostore.us/portable/...table-kit.html

Jason

 

[Shawn C]

I posted this over at XMFan, but I assume that they are going to build the antenna into the headphone. I hope you like their headphones!

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

They just announced it - it's a portable with 5 hours of battery life and 5 hours of recording capability. SRP is $350. The antenna is built in to the unit, *not* the headphones. Here's a picture:



Link to the announcement page:

HERE

 

[MatS]

Ziggy's review
http://www.xm411.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7488

 

[Curt Luther]

If you are a die hard Stern fan...than this is the best news you can hear. He has been censored far to much over the last few years....(even more so after the last Super Bowl). Like him or not you have to admit he is a talent..kinda like Michael Jackson...I don't like him...but he has talent. My wife and I are big Stern fans and have been for years, we have had to suffer the last few years trying to get him on Am radio here in Michigan, I travel alot for my job and currently have XM and have had it for two years, I WILL be switching to Sirius next month because of this deal and my wife will be getting Sirius sometime next year as well. I have a feeling some tuners may be hard to get if you wait until December next year...anyways....good deal for Stern, you can't blame him for wanting to make more money....not many people would turn down a raise

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Curt,

Just be aware that switcing from XM to SIRIUS
comes with a pricetag.

Their music playlists are extremely tight. They
play the same stuff over and over again.

If you are a fan of music, SIRIUS may turn out to
be a disappointment.

 

[Chris]

At the same time, Ron, be aware that the more people that move to SIRIUS, the more opportunities there are for that to change.

(Shade-45, SIRIUS new hip-hop channel, is doing a very good job of keeping things pretty unique)

FYI, word is SIRIUS may announce that they break 900,000 subscribers this month; this would be a 200,000 increase in a month and a half span, SIRIUS's fastest growth spurt.

 

[SteveK]

Chris - It depends. Sirius may view an increase in subscribers as a verification of their programming strategy. They may believe that new subscribers are joining to hear the hits that Sirius apparently plays. They may then say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and not widen their playlists at all.

Obviously neither of us knows what will happen if more people subscribe to Sirius, but apparently Sirius believes a tight hits-based playlists is the way to go, and I doubt that mindset would change just because they have a growing subscriber base. In fact, I think the only way it would be likely to change is if their subscriber base shrinks and XM's subscriber base continues to grow. Then, perhaps they'll realize that many music fans enjoy hearing an occasional obscure song along with the latest #1 hit.

Time will tell.

Steve K.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Chris,

People have been screaming for over a year about
the tight playlists. There are still many threads
on SBS that complain about repetitive play across
the channels.

Here's a prime example of the kind of complaints
that still get posted:

Click Here

Management has been listening but doing nothing
about it. After a year of complaining with nothing
being done I don't forsee anything changing there.

 

[Chris]

I guess, Ron, though, it's also a variation on what people like as well

Link

See, for me, when I do listen to the music channels, I'm pretty happy, so yeah, I've never complained. (most of the time, I'm listening elsewhere, etc. so hard to say) but I'm one of those who pretty much believes that you play the Hot-50 of that genre year by year and everything else I really could care less about

I just say this Ron because you've been so harshly anti-SIRIUS I figured they need a supporter in the forum too It's almost like you own stock in XM

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Why does every thread in this forum have to be about XM versus Sirius playlists?

Is there another satellite forum on the 'net where posts stay on-topic?

 

[SteveK]

Michael - Talk about XM versus Sirius playlists might seem off-topic to some discussions. However, they may actually be relevant to any satellite radio topic. In this thread, for example, what would it matter that XM was introducing a Walkman type radio if you didn't care for the programming offered by XM? Why would it matter that Sirius will carry Howard Stern if you don't care for the other channels offered by Sirius?

So although playlists don't relate directly to a radio you can take with you, you might have no particular desire to have a portable radio if you feel the programming is too repetitive. After all, that just gives you that much more oppportunity to hear the same songs again and again. So although not directly related, it may still be important.

Steve K.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

It is important.

I make sure I tell everyone considering switching
from XM to SIRIUS that there is a major downgrade
in the variety of music that gets played.

It's an important piece of information to know.
I don't want to see anyone suffer the same monetary
loss I had when I decided to spend hundreds to upgrade
to a service that I thought was better and found it to
be vastly inferior.

If you want Stern and Football, I can't blame you
for picking Sirius. However, if you love the variety
of music that XM plays I greatly warn you that SIRIUS
may disappoint you.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

It just gets old when every single thread turns the same direction. It hurts the signal-to-noise ratio of the area. Will all of the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD threads be permitted to devolve into format debate? Can such debate not be contained to dedicated threads instead of permeating all other discussion?

 

[Curt Luther]

Thanks for the info on the tight playlist for Sirius. I actually don't listen to much music at all on my XM. Like I said...I do listen ALOT to my XM seeing that I drive so much, I listen to mostly talk radio (Dave Ramsey...ect) and alot of the News channels....I know...I know...boring! I am happy with XM....if they would have signed Stern, I wouldn't be switching!

 

[Brian L]

The newest Crutchfield catalog has the SkyFi2 which it says will record 30 minutes of music, allow pause, replay, etc. Looks just like the original, fits the same cradles, etc.

Very cool, IMHO for $129.

BGL